Photographic flash-light apparatus.



No. 803,074. PATBNTED OUT. 31, 1905. T. 0. SMITH & W. A. MARTIN.

PHOTOGRAPHIG FLASH LIGHT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILEDJAN. so. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Q Q1 1 m 7 27 I I 27 mmaw. u ORAMM w. PHLLR) LIYNQGRAFNERS. WASNWGYON Dc No. 803,074. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

T. G. SMITH & W. A. MARTIN.

PHOTOGRAPHIC FLASH LIGHT APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 30. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 803,074. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905. T. 0. SMITH & W. A. MARTIN.

PHOTOGRAPHIG FLASH LIGHT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. so. 1905 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

THOMAS C. SMITH AND WASHINGTON A. MARTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PHOTOGRAPHIC FLASH-LIGHT APPARATUS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31,. 1905.

Application filed January 30, 1905. Serial No. 243,224.

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS C. SMITH and WVAsHINGToN A. MARTIN, citizensof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPhotographic Flash-Light Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in an apparatus to be used byphotographers for creating an instantaneous and brilliant light by theuse of powder in order that good, clear, and sharply-defined photographsmay be produced; and it consists in certain peculiarities of theconstruction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various partsthereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and spe cificallyclaimed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a portable andmanually-operated flash-light apparatus which shall be simple andinexpensive in construction, compact in form, strong, durable andeffective, and safe in operation, with its parts so constructed andarranged that the inflammable powder employed for producing the lightwill be protected from the wind or displacement, as well as againstaccidental ignition.

Another object is to provide a flash-light apparatus in which ordinarypercussion-matches may be used for igniting the powder.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosedin the subjoined description and explanation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our inventionpertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rearperspective view of aflashlight apparatus embodying our invention,showing the parts in position and a hand of the operator in the act ofproducing the flash or light and illustrating by dotted lines the raisedposition of the protecting-cover for the powder. Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the supporting-plate which carries the firing mechanism, showing thepowder-pan removed. Fig. 3 is a front view in elevation thereof, showingsaid plate mounted on the handle. Fig. 4.- is a fragmental plan View ofa portion of the powder-pan and a part of the cover therefor,illustrating the means for releasing and automatically raising thelatter. Fig. 5 is a face view, partly in section and partly in i inelevation thereof.

Fig. 6 is a rear view Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7 7of Fig. i looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 8 is asimilar view taken on the same plane, but showing the cover for the panin its raised position. Fig. 9 is a detached perspective view of the capor cover for the easing which contains the firing mechanism. Fig. 10 isa cross-sectional view taken on line 10 10 of Fig. 9 looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows. Fig. 11 is a fragmental plan View ofthe supporting-plate and casing for the firing mechanism, showing thelatter parts in their normal positions. Fig. 12 is a similar viewthereof, showing the parts in the positions they will occupy when readyto fire or ignite the match and illustrating the same in positions. Fig.13 is a face view of the supporting-plate and casing for the firingmechanism and a part of the handle, showing said mechanism removed. Fig.14 is a detached outer View of the firing or igniting slide. Fig. 15 isa similar view of the inner surface thereof. Fig. 16 is an edge view.Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the powder-pan, showing a modificationin its construction. Fig. 18 is an inner perspective view of the camused for operating the safety-lever. Fig. 19 is a face view of, thehandle and a portion of the supporting-plate, showing a portion of thehandle removed in order to disclose the parts elevation, of said parts.

employed to operate the firing mechanism.

Fig. 20 is a similar view of like parts, showing the positions thereofwhen holding the match and illustrating the firing or igniting slide inits cocked position and the safety-lever set. Fig. 21 is a verticalsectional view taken on line 21 21 of Fig. 19; and Fig. 22 is a detailview of a portion of the match-holding or looking lever, showing the camthereon for operating the same as well as the safetylever.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawings.

The reference-numeral 25 designates the handle, which is hollow and maybe made of any suitable size, form, and material. Se-

cured on the upper end of the handle is asupporting-plate 26, which hasin its front edge two bayonet-slots 27 to receive headed projections 28on the lower surface of the powderpan 29, which slots and projectionsafford what may be termed bayonet-catches and convenient means fordetachably connecting said parts. The plate 26 is provided on its uppersurface at its rear edge with a box-like casing 30 for the retention ofthe firing mechanism, and said casing has adetachable cover 31, thefront edge of which is provided with a downturned flange 32 to overlapthe front wall 33 of said casing. As is clearly shown in Fig. 13 of thedrawings, the front wall 33 of the casing 30 is provided with a seriesof recesses 34, 35, 36, and 37 for the reception and operation of theprojections 38, 39, 40, and 41, respectively, on the inner surface ofthe firing or igniting slide 42, which is also provided on its innersurface with a depression 43 to receive the head of the match when it isinserted for the purpose of igniting the powder. At one of the edges ofthe depression 43 the slide 42 is provided with a tooth 44 to engage thehead of the match. As shown in Figs. 11, 15, and 16, the projection 40extends inwardly from the inner surface of the slide 42 and thenparallel therewith at a slight distance therefrom, thus inwardlyoverlapping a portion of the wall 33, which is provided at about itsmiddle with an opening 45 to receive the match. The inner surface of thewall 33 is provided around the opening 45 therein with a tubularextension 46, which is formed with a recess 47 for the operation of theupper end of the match-holding lever. The rear wall of the casing 30 isprovided with an opening 48 for the match 49, whichopening registerswith the opening 45 in the front wall of the easmg.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the slide 42 is formed in its lower edgewith a recess 50, which terminates abruptly at the edge of thedepression 43, having the tooth 44 thereon, so that when the slide ismoved in one direction the recess 50 will expose the opening 45 in thefront wall, and thus place the casing in communication with thepowder-pan, as will be presently explained. Secured at one of its endsto the projection 41 on the slide 42 is a spring 51, which has its otherend secured to a pin 52 on the bottom of the casing, and this spring isemployed to actuate the firing or igniting slide. The downturned flange32 of the cover 31 for the casing is provided near one of its ends witha longitudinal slot 53 for the reception and operation of arearwardlyprojecting pin 54, which is secured to a releasing-slide 55for the cover 56 of the pow der-pan. The flange 32 is also provided onits outer surface with a longitudinal depression 57, which extends fromnear the inner end of the slot 53 to about the middle of the flange andterminates in an outwardly-turned portion or tooth 58. At the inner endof the depression 57 the flange 32 is provided with an opening 59 toregister with the opening 45 in the front wall of the casing. Thedepression 57 is employed to receive a sliding plate 60 on the rear Wallof the pan 29, which plate is employed to open and close the opening 61in said pan, which opening registers with the opening 45 in the frontwall of the casing and leads into the pan or powder-chamber beneath thecover 56 therefor. The plate 60 is movably held on the rear wall of thepan by means of screws 62, which pass through a slot 63 in said plate.

The pin 54 on the releasing-plate 55 projects .jection 58 on the cover31 will engage the end of the plate 60, adjacent to the touch-hole 61 inthe rear wall of the pan, so that when the pan 29 is moved in the properdirection in the slots 27 of the supporting-plate the plate 60 will bemoved from over the openings 61, and at the same time thereleasing-plate 55, through the instrumentality of the pin 54 andprojection 38 on the striking-slide, will be moved so as to almostrelease the cover 56 of the pan. This cover is pivotally secured at itsrear edge to the rear of the pan and is automatically raised by means ofa spring 65, which is secured at one of its ends to the rear wall of thepan and loosely secured at its other end to said cover. Located on theupper surface of the cover at about its middle is a plate 66, which hasits rear end formed with an upturned flange 67 ,which rests against theinner surface of the rear wall of the pan and is used to open and closethe opening 68 in the rear edge of the cover, which opening registerswith the opening 61 in the rear wall of the pan. The plate 66' isprovided with slots 69 for screws 70, secured to the upper surface ofthe cover so as to permit said'plate to move back and forth across thecover, and is actuated by means of a spring 71, one end of which engagesthe cover and the other end said plate. When the releasing-plate 55 isslid entirely from the plate 66, it is'apparent that the spring willcause the cover 56 to automatically rise to the positions shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1 and by continuous lines in Fig. 8 of thedrawings. in which operation the flange 67 on the plate 66, actingagainst the rear wall of the pan, will cause said plate to be movedforwardly, thus opening the hole 68 in the cover. When the cover ispressed downward, the spring 71 will force the plate 66 back to itsnormal position, thus closing said opening.

Fulcrumed in the upper portion of the handle 25 is a cocking-lever 72,the upper end of which extends through an opening 73 in the bottom ofthe casing 26 and rests against the inner end of the projection 40 onthe strikingslide. Pivotally secured on the lower end of the lever 72 isa push-pin 74, which projects through an opening in one side of thehandle connected together at their inner ends by means of a screw 78 anda slot 79, through which the screw passes. The lower end of the portion76 of the firing-trigger is prothe match near its head.

vided with a push pin or button 80, which extends through an opening inthe rear portion of the handle. The upper end of the portion 77 of saidtrigger is slightly rounded or beveled and projects through an openingin the bottom of the casing 30, so as to engage the projection 39 on thestriking-slide. The portion 77 is upwardly actuated by means of a spring81, which is secured at one of its ends to said part and at its otherend to the handle. The part 76 of the firing-trigger is provided on itsinner edge with a catch 82 to receive the upper end of a safety-lever83,which is fulcrumed on the rear portion of the handle and has on itslower portion a push-pin 84, which extends through the rear portion ofthe handle for operating said lever. Projecting at its upper end throughthe opening 73 in the casingis a looking or holding arm 85 for the match49, and said end of this arm is preferably curved, as shown in Figs. 19and 20 of the drawings. The lower portion of the arm 85 is provided withan inclined slot 86 for the operation of the push-pin 87, which extendsthrough the rear portion of the handle and is used for operatingsaidarm, as well as for setting the safety-lever 83, so as to lock the partsagainst accidental firing. Mounted on the inner portion of the push-pin87 is a cam 88, the inclined surface of which is adapted to impinge thecurved portion of the safetylever 83, so as to throw it into engagementwith the portion 76 of the firing-trigger. The locking-arm 85 isactuated outwardly by means of a spring 89, which is secured at one ofits ends to the handle and at its other end to said arm. By pressingdownwardly on the pin 87 it is apparent that the arm 85 will be moved insaid direction, and as said pin 87 is located in the inclined slot 86 ofsaid arm the upper end thereof will be removed from the recess 47 in thetube 46, so as to permit the match being inserted in said tube, when byreleasing the pin 87 the spring 89 will cause the arm 85 to be moved andby the action of the pin 87 in the slot 86 cause it to be thrown backinto the recess 47, so as to firmly hold In the above-named operationthe inclined surface of the cam 88 will force the safety-lever 83 intoengagement with the catch 82 on the portion 76 of the firing-trigger.

Instead of using a powder-pan with a pivoted protecting-cover, as shownin Figs. 1, 4, 7, and 8 of the drawings and above described, we may usean ordinary pan 29, havingits rear Longitudinally located in the wall 30extended upwardly, but rigid with the pan, in which construction thesame means of fastening it to the supporting-plate and for uncoveringthe touch-hole 61, as above described, may be employed.

The operation of the apparatus is simple and as follows: When thepowder-pan 29,with the protecting-cover, is employed, the actuatingmeans of which may be inclosed by means of a flanged plate 90, securedon the upper surface of said cover, powder may be placed in said pan bymoving the releasing bar 55 in the proper direction, which may be doneby means of the pin 54, which projects through the rear wall of saidpan, thus permitting the cover to automatically rise. When a sufficientquantity is placed in the pan and properly distributed, so that aportion thereof will be located in the touch-holes 61 and 68 of the panand'oover, respectively, the lattermay be lowered and fastened in itslowered position by replacing the releasing-plate 55, so as to engagethe sliding plate 66 on the upper surface of the cover. By placing theprojections 28 on the lower surface of the pan in the slots 27 of thesupporting-plate it is evident the pin 54 will project into the slot 53of the flange 32 on the casing-cover and that the depression 57 in saidcover will receive the sliding piece 60 on the pan, so that the tooth 58on the flange 32 will engage one end of the piece 60, when by slidingthe pan sidewise on the supporting-plate, which operation is permittedby reason of the bayonet-catches 27, the piece 60 will be moved awayfrom the touch-hole 61 in the pan. When in this position, it will beunderstood that the releasingplate 55 on the pan has been moved so as tobe almost out of engagement with the plate 66 on the upper surface ofthe cover, but still engages said plate sufficiently to hold it in itslowered position. By pressing the cookingpin 74 inwardly it is apparentthe cookinglever 72 will be thrown to the position indicated in Fig. 20,which operation will move the firing-slide 42 to the position shown inFig. 12, thus closing the opening in the front wall of the casing. Whenthus cocked, the safety-lever 83 may be set by pushing the pin 87downwardly, which operation will also remove the locking-arm 85 from thetube 46, so as to permit the match 49 being inserted through the opening48 in the rear wall of the casing. When thus inserted, pressure may beremoved from the pin 87, when the arm 85 will engage the match near itshead and firmly hold it in position. When the parts are arranged asabove stated, it will be understood that the head of the match will liein the depression 43 of the striking-slide 42, so that the tooth 44thereon may strike or engage the match-head. By releasing thesafety-lever 83 from the portion 76 of the firing-trigger, which may bedone by moving the pin 84 in the proper direction, it is apparent thatthe &

match may be fired or ignited by simply pressing down on the firing-pin80, which through the instrumentality of the portion 76 will release theupper portion 77 of the firing-trigger from the projection 39 onthe'firing-slide, when the latter will be retracted to the positionshown in Fig. 11 by reason of the spring 51, which actuates said slide.In thus retracting the slide the front end of the projection 38 willstrike the pin 54 on the releasing-plate 55, thus permitting the cover56 of the pan to be automatically lifted just before the explosion ofthe match-head takesplace, which explosion is produced by the engagementof the tooth 44: on the striking-plate 4:2 with said head. As thestriking-plate is retracted it is apparent that the recess 50 thereinwill bebrought over the opening 45 in the front wall of the casing, soas to open the same, thus permitting the flame of the match to passthrough the openings or touch-holes 61 and 68 of the pan and covertherefor, thus igniting the powder and creating the desired light. Whena pan 29 of the construction shown in Fig. 17is employed, the operationis substantially the same as just above described. When pressure isremoved from the pin 80, it is apparent that the spring 81 will retractthe part 77 of the firing-trigger, so that its upper portion will regainits proper position.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'1. In a photographic flashlight apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle, of a firing mechanism mounted thereon, a powder-pansupported on the handle, a cocking-lever for said mechanism located inthe supporting-handle and projecting therefrom to engage a portion ofthe firing mechanism, and means to release said cocked mechanism,substantially as described.

2. In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle, of a casing mounted thereon and provided with meansto receive and hold a percussively ignitible substance, a powder panconnected to the casing and adapted to communicate therewith, a firingmechanism in said casing, a cooking -'lever fulcrumed on the handle andprojecting into the casing to cook the said mechanism, and means torelease the cocked mechanism so as to cause said substance to beignited, substantially as described.

3. In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle, of a casing mounted on one end thereof and providedin its front and rear walls with an opening to receive apercussion-match, a powder-pan connected to the casing and adapted tocommunicate therewith, a firing mechanism in said casing, acocking-lever fulcrumed on the handle and projecting into the casing tocook the said mechanism, and a firing trigger located on the handle andprojecting into the casing to release the cooked mechanism so as toignite the match, substantially as described.

4. In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle, of a casing mounted on one end thereof and providedin its front and rear walls with an opening to receiveapercussion-match, apowder pan connected to the casing, a firingmechanism in said casing, a cocking-lever fulcrumed on the handle andprojectin into the casing to cock said mechanism, a ingtrigger locatedon the handle and projecting into the casing to release the cookedmechanism so as to ignite the match, and a lockingarm on the handle tohold the match, substantially as described.

5. In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle, of a casing mounted thereon and provided in its frontand rear walls with an opening, a powder-pan connected to the casing andadapted to communicate therewith, a firing mechanism in said casing, acocking-lever fulcrumed on the handle and projecting into the casing, afiring-trigger on the handle and projecting into the casing, and asafety-lever on the handle and adapted to engage the said trigger,substantially as described.

6. In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle, of a casing mounted thereon and provided in its frontand rear walls with an opening, a powder pan connected to the casing andadapted to communicate therewith, a firing mechanism in said casing, acooking -lever fulcrumed on the handle and projecting into the casing, afiring-trigger and a locking-arm on the handle and projecting into thecasing, and a safety-lever on the handle and adapted to engage the saidtrigger, substantially as described.

7. In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle,

of a casing mounted on one end thereof and provided in its front andrear walls with an opening, a powder-pan connected to the casing andadapted to communicate therewith, a spring-actuated cover for said pan,means to hold the cover in its lowered position, a firing mechanism inthe casing, a cocking-lever projecting into the casing, and means torelease the cooked mechanism and the cover of the powder pan,substantially as described.

8. In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle, of a casing mounted on one end thereof and providedin its front and rear walls with an opening, a powder-pan connected tothe casing and adapted to have communication therewith, aspring-actuated cover for said pan, means to hold the cover in itslowered position, a firing mechanism in the casing, a

cocking-lever projecting into the casing to cook said mechanism, alocking-arm project; ing into the casing, and means to release thecocked mechanism and the cover of the powder-pan, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupporting-handle,

of a casing mounted on one end thereof and provided in its front andrear Walls with an opening to receive a percussion match, a powder panconnected to the casing and adapted to communicate therewith, a firingmechanism in said casing, a cocking-lever fulcrumed on the handle andprojecting into the casing to cock said mechanism, a firing triggerlocated on the handle and projecting into the casing to release thecooked mechanism so as to ignite the match, a safety-lever on the handleand adapted to engage said trigger, a locking-arm movably supported onthe handle and projecting into the casing so as to hold the match, andmeans on the lower portion of said locking-arm to move the safety-leverinto engagement with the trigger, substantially as described.

10, In a photographic flash-light apparatus, the combination with thesupportinghandle, of a casing mounted on one end there of and having inits front and rear walls an opening, of a spring actuated firing slidemovably mounted on one of said walls and having a recess in its loweredge, the said slide having on its inner surface a toothed depressionand a number of projections, a cocking-lever fulcrumed on the handle andprojecting into the casing so as to engage one of the projections onsaid slide, a firing-trigger located on the handle and projecting intothe casing so as to engage another projection on said slide,substantially as described.

THOMAS C. SMITH. WASHINGTON A. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. TILLuAN, A. GUsTAFsoN.

